Good feedback from employers who weathered the storm.  Better driving habits derived from a glass of water.  Best places to work.  It's all here in the latest edition of Merging Lanes!

Fortunate Ones: Best Companies to Work for in GA

Fortune recently released its annual roster of the 100 best employers to work for, featuring three venerable Georgia companies that have been mainstays on the magazine’s list over the past several years.  Alston + Bird (13), Aflac (57) and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (60) have more in common than just their Georgia roots: all three organizations offer commute options programs that help their employees minimize the hassles of getting to and from work.

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Revisiting “the winter of our discontent”

While many North Georgia employers wrestled with the weeklong deep freeze in mid-January, more positive stories continue to emerge about those who were equipped to make the week somewhat productive.  As these employers note, the capacity to telework brought a decided advantage in the battle versus Mother Nature:

“Having our network accessible by employees from home was the most significant factor in capturing billable hours. Their ability to log in and be productive was huge for us, as we'll have a lot less time to try and make up between now and the end of January.”
-- Ed Cave, President, Veenendaal Cave

“We were able to conduct business for the most part, however, only a few people from the lab were able to work.  The leaders of Metametrix were pleased that we were able to continue to work. People that were not connected to the VPN actually called to get connected.”
-- Linda Thompson, Assistant Director of Human Resources, Metametrix

Vocalocity worked with Midtown Transportation Solutions and The Clean Air Campaign to formalize a telework policy, which, combined with their VoIP technology helped ensure that the company worked efficiently from home. 

NOTE: This Friday from 8am to 9:30am, The Clean Air Campaign will host a special seminar on business continuity at the Metro Atlanta Chamber, adjacent to Centennial Olympic Park.  Interested employers can RSVP for this free event by e-mailing bgraham@cleanaircampaign.org. 
 

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If you build it, they will come. 

Downtown Atlanta’s future as the nucleus of rail and bus transit came into focus as the Georgia Department of Transportation began conversations with engineering and design firms on plans for a major facility to be located near the Five Points MARTA station.  The project is being billed as one of the largest transit-oriented developments in the country, which would bring new options to commuters and prime location advantages to all types of employers.  

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Old school approach to efficient driving gets a new twist.

Ever heard of the old “glass of water” trick, where you place a full glass of water on the dashboard of your car with the goal of driving gently enough not to spill it?  No hard turns.  No aggressive starts or stops.  The benefits to driving this way of course are greater fuel economy and fewer emissions.  And now, there’s an app developed by engineers at Toyota for this old school approach.  Drivers can get performance data on their efforts to identify where there is room for improvement.  And if their carpool partner happens to be feeling a little parched, well …

Merge.

AT&T Georgia presented a check for $10,000 to The Clean Air Campaign today at the non-profit organization's quarterly Board of Directors meeting, held at the Metro Atlanta Chamber.

"Through our partnership with The Clean Air Campaign, AT&T Georgia has worked to put our employees in position to make sustainable transportation choices," said AT&T Georgia regional director of external affairs Dennis Boyden. This year, AT&T Georgia employees have eliminated some 12.7 million vehicle miles of travel from the roads and kept 6,348 tons of pollution out of the air we breathe.

Clean Air Campaign executive director Kevin Green (L) receives a $10,000 contribution from AT&T Georgia presented by regional director of external affairs Dennis Boyden (R) at The Clean Air Campaign's quarterly Board of Directors meeting.

The Clean Air Campaign is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that has forged mutually-productive partnerships with many of Georgia's leading employers in pursuit of cleaner air and less traffic congestion. Each day, the commute options programs supported by federal, state, local and private sector funds - like those from AT&T Georgia - help commuters, employers and schools breathe easier.

Saw the ice cream truck in my neighborhood the other day, so it must be summer! The new season brings out the carefree kid in all of us. So, slather on some sunscreen. Throw down your towel and run through the sprinkler. Stay cool with this latest edition of Merging Lanes.

Et Tu, Kudzu?
The Clean Air Campaign is all for going green, but this is wild. As if vehicle tailpipes weren't enough, new research has introduced a new arch nemesis in Georgia's fight against ground-level ozone: kudzu. Not only is the state's landscape blanketed in the leafy green stuff from Buford to Bainbridge, but we're also learning that a chemical reaction in kudzu produces more of the nitrogen oxide compounds that are a chief ingredient in smog. So, grab your hedge clippers in the name of cleaner air. We might have to develop a new incentive program … Cash for Kudzu.

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All Quiet on the Code Orange Front … For Now
Speaking of air pollution, we've cleared the first month of smog season 2010 edition with a flurry of exceedances in the first week, followed by three weeks straight without any. That's been a good streak. But before you get too excited, keep in mind that cooler weather probably deserves much of the credit. Any day is a good day to choose alternatives to driving alone on your daily commute. Watch this space in about 90 days, when the US Environmental Protection Agency is slated to announce new, more stringent standards for ground-level ozone to protect public health.

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Technically Speaking, Greener Driving is Attainable
Interesting story from GreenBiz.com about new technology and tools that enhance driving efficiency. We all know about GPS, but eco-routing takes navigation a step further by tying it to fuel consumption and a futuristic ability for a car's engine to "look ahead" at the terrain to make decisions related to engine performance. Smarter travel is headed this way ... but the most intelligent way to improve the air we breathe is to drive less.

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Dump the Pump with MARTA on June 17
Hop on the bus or take the train to work to help MARTA celebrate their annual "Dump the Pump" event, which takes place June 17. And for fun, MARTA is hosting a special contest that asks patrons to express via video and blog "Why MARTA Matters to the Environment." Get the details here.

Merge.